Glossary
Advanced Skills
Highly developed artistic abilities, showcasing sophisticated and masterful application of elements and principles of design across the artwork.
Example:
An artist with advanced skills might seamlessly blend complex techniques and innovative material use to create a deeply expressive and technically refined piece.
Art and Design Skills
The proficiency in using the elements and principles of design within a chosen medium to create effective visual or three-dimensional compositions.
Example:
A student demonstrating strong art and design skills might expertly use color theory and composition to create a dynamic painting.
Elements of Art
The basic building blocks artists use to create a work of art, including line, shape, form, space, color, value, and texture.
Example:
A painter might use vibrant elements of art like contrasting colors and dynamic lines to create a sense of energy in their abstract composition.
Emphasis
A principle of design used to create a focal point or area of interest in an artwork, drawing the viewer's attention to a specific part.
Example:
An artist might use a bright, contrasting color or a unique texture to create emphasis on the central figure in a portrait.
Form
An element of art that refers to a three-dimensional object, possessing height, width, and depth, unlike two-dimensional shapes.
Example:
A sculptor transforms a block of clay into a dynamic human form, giving it volume and presence in space.
Holistic Scoring
An evaluation method where a collection of works is assessed as a single unit, focusing on the overall quality and coherence rather than individual piece scores.
Example:
Graders apply holistic scoring to your five selected works, looking at how they collectively demonstrate your artistic growth and skill, much like judging a portfolio as a whole.
Materials, Processes, and Ideas
The interconnectedness of the chosen art supplies, the methods used to create the artwork, and the underlying concepts or messages the artist intends to convey.
Example:
An artist's choice of delicate watercolor (materials), layered washes (processes), and themes of fragility (ideas) all work together to communicate their vision.
Moderate Skills
Competent artistic abilities where elements and principles of design are applied with some consistency, though perhaps not always with full clarity or impact.
Example:
An artwork demonstrating moderate skills might effectively use color, but the composition might lack a strong focal point, showing potential but room for refinement.
Preponderance of Evidence
A scoring rule where the overall score reflects the majority quality of the submitted work, rather than being pulled down by a single weaker piece.
Example:
If four of your five selected works demonstrate advanced skills and one shows moderate skills, the preponderance of evidence suggests an overall high score.
Principles of Design
The rules or guidelines artists use to organize the elements of art in a composition, such as unity, variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, movement, pattern, proportion, and scale.
Example:
A graphic designer might apply principles of design like balance and emphasis to create a visually compelling and easy-to-read poster.
Proficient Skills
Good and capable artistic abilities, characterized by a clear and effective application of elements and principles of design.
Example:
A sculptor with proficient skills might create a balanced and visually engaging form, demonstrating a solid grasp of three-dimensional design principles.
Rudimentary Skills
Basic or undeveloped artistic abilities, where the application of elements and principles of design is inconsistent or lacks sophistication.
Example:
A drawing showing rudimentary skills might have disproportionate figures and a flat sense of space, indicating a foundational understanding but needing more practice.
Synthesis (of Materials, Processes, and Ideas)
The seamless integration and harmonious working together of an artist's chosen materials, creative processes, and underlying concepts to create a unified and impactful artwork.
Example:
When an artist's choice of fragile glass (materials), meticulous blowing techniques (processes), and themes of vulnerability (ideas) all perfectly align, they achieve a powerful synthesis.
Writing (Scoring Criterion)
The ability to clearly identify and explain the artistic ideas, materials, and processes used in one's artwork, ensuring alignment between visual and verbal communication.
Example:
Strong writing for your portfolio might clearly articulate how your use of recycled plastics (materials) and assemblage (processes) conveys a message about environmentalism (ideas).